Personally, the only thing on our Queens spring bucket list is riding the subway until we find this cool AF dog.
But we're assuming the rest of you are looking for something a little more involved. Lucky for you, the Long Island borough has no shortage of fun, springtime activities to help you celebrate the arrival of warmer weather!
Highlights include a Bacon & Beer Festival, camping without leaving the city or getting too dirty, and putting your allergies on full blast!
Seriously though, pollen or no pollen, some things are worth taking antihistamine's for. And the spring season is totes one of those reasons.
Grab your baseball hat and we'll see you at CitiField! This is Queens, after all—GO METS!
1. Strike out!
Hey baseball fans, it's the most wonderful time of the year! Spring Training is in full swing ;) , and the season is about to start! Make sure you're a proper fan and nab your tickets for the Mets home opener. The Mets take on the Braves at CitiField on April 3rd, at 1pm.
Not that in to baseball? No worries, there are other ways to strike out with your pals/the object of your affections! Why not join a skeeball league? It's a sure-fire way to have a good time, and practice your underarm for summer on the boardwalk. What's sexier than that? Who knows, you may even score.
2. Eat too much!
Wanna know how to get a swimsuit body? Put a swimsuit on your body! We think diets are boring and a waste of time—This is New York! There is WAY too much good food here to limit yourself!
Probably the best example of that is the upcoming Queens Taste event at the New York Hall of Science on May 2nd. Over 50 restaurants and food/drink purveyors will gather to offer samples and networking opportunities to over 700 guests!
Spring also means the start of the Queen's Night Market, returning to Flushing Meadows Corona Park on April 22nd!
In the organizer's words, the Night Market is "a large, family-friendly open-air night market in Queens, featuring up to 100 independent vendors selling merchandise, art, and food and featuring small-scale cultural performances, all celebrating the rich cultural diversity and heritage of NYC and Queens." Check out this year's vendors if you'd like to start drooling on your keyboard.
Last, but not least, there's a Bacon & Beer Festival. Do I really have to say anything else? We know you're probably not even reading this anymore and are already buying your tickets.
But just in case for SOME REASON you still need convincing to go to this holy festival, this weekend long event is going down at CitiField on Saturday April 29th and Sunday April 30th. A General Admission ticket gets you three hours of unlimited bacon dishes, craft beer, live music, games, and a complimentary tasting glass. See. You. There.
3. Go camping WITHOUT leaving Queens!
Are you a native New Yorker who has never left the city, let alone gone camping? Don't worry! You can do the fun day time camping activities and skip the whole sleeping outside in a tent part!
Pack some water and light snack and wear your sensible shoes—It's time to get your hike on. There are tons of trails in the parks throughout queens, all varying levels of difficulty. If you want to go with a guide, there's a group hike of the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway on Sunday April 9th!
Never touched a paddle in your life? You can take a beginner's canoe class on Oakland Lake! The urban park rangers also lead more difficult canoe expeditions on the open rivers and bays, for those of you who have a bit more summer camp experience under your belt. The best part of all is the lessons are FREE!
4. Museum it up!
Spring cleaning can apply to your brain, as well as your apartment! Head to the Queens Museum to celebrate the opening of their spring exhibitions on April 9th, including an installation by Marinella Senatore that focuses on the power of the crowd to enact social change, and kicks off April 9th with a live performance entitled Protest Forms: Memory and Celebration: Part II. Sounds v timely!
MoMA PS1 also has a new site-specific exhibition entitled Education by Stone. The chalk-centric installation explores fragility and instability. Why not check it out, then head to one of the borough's many cocktail bars? Fancy date, done and done.
5. Jump start your allergies!
Warm weather is oh so near, we can already hear the little birdies chirping and smell the flowers blooming and feel our noses running and our eyes itching and watering. It's time to bust out those sunglasses, OD on the Claritin, and get outdoors!
Did you know there is a legit FARM is Queens? The Queens County Farm Museum is New York City's largest remaining tract of untouched farmland and it's open seven days a week! If you're looking for a super adorable way to celebrate Easter with the adorable 'lil kids in your life, they're having a Barnyard Egg Hunt on April 15th!
They also offer gardening classes for all you budding urban gardeners out there.
Stop and smell the cherry blossoms at the annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Saturday April 15th! Sakura Matsuri celebrates the spring blossoming of the cherry trees, and features live drum performances, a traditional Japanese chorus, a Japanese folk dance, and a tea ceremony.
If you really want to kick your allergies into high gear, you better spend an afternoon strolling through the beautiful Queens Botanical Garden. They've got a full calendar of special events and activities to check out this spring, including a farm-to-table Mother's Day Brunch on May 14th!